Gardening, Home and Nature Thread, Jan. 24

Filbert Catkins with hoarfrost

Hope everyone in the paths of the big storms is safe and warm. In your honor, some frosty photos from HalDallMD:

Hoarfrost on our trees. Had ice on everything for a few days.

Ponderosa Pine with hoarfrost

Subalpine Fir with hoarfrost

Fascinating photos. How close in appearance is that hoarfrost to the ice and snow in the big storms?

And to give everyone some hope:

The rosemary bush is blooming. Even a few honeybees on it.
Pictures will follow because I am not computer savvy.
NorCal Sierra Foothills Lurker

Gorgeous! What a brave little bee!

Our rosemary isn't blooming yet. We have FOG.

Edible Gardening/Putting Things By

The lettuce bolted and the seeds went all over the place. Now we have volunteers of winter lettuce when the summer was too hot for them to grow .
Nan in AZ

Wonderful! I see some other things coming along, too!

Ah, Nature

WINTER TIPS OR ALERTS FOR THOSE HOLED UP IN STORMY WEATHER?

Recipes that don't require heating? I always go back to bean salads.

Gardens of The Horde

MIRACULOUS RECOVERY

Hi KT.
Here is a Christmas cactus that was never particularly energetic, but did its thing each year out on the front porch. Last year, the deer shredded it mercilessly , down to soil level. There was no green left at all.
I sadly brought it into the sunroom hoping for the best, and look! It has recovered well, and is blooming now, probably better than it ever has before.
The Amaryllis next to it doesn’t like me though. It has never bloomed and has always looked pitiful.
Any suggestions are welcome. I just hope it’s not too late…
Thanks for your wonderful Garden threads and essays. Keep up the great work.

Gunslinger.

Wonderful to see a miracle like that! Those little buds are charming.

Any suggestions for the Amaryllis?

There's not much gardening happening outside here in snowy New Hampshire.
Audrey the Aloe Plant seems to be doing well inside although she stares out the window and wishes for warmer weather so she can go out and play. Even though Christmas is over I'm keeping the festive squirrel lights on her to try to cheer her up and play her lots of the classics like Marvin Gaye and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Thank you for all the wonderful weekend gardening and pet threads and other posts.
Best wishes to you and yours and everyone at the Ace.
Rodent

Audrey is lovely! Looks like she enjoys the music and festive squirrel lights.

Hope everyone has a nice, or at least bearable, weekend.

If you would like to send photos, stories, links, etc. for the Saturday Gardening Thread, the address is:

ktinthegarden at g mail dot com

Remember to include the nic or name by which you wish to be known at AoSHQ, or let us know if you want to remain a lurker.

Week in Review

What has changed since last week's thread? Check out the late comments. Gardening, Home and Nature Thread, Jan 17

Any thoughts or questions?

I closed the comments on that post so you wouldn't get banned for commenting on a week-old post, but don't try it anyway.

Posted by: K.T. at 01:24 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Horehound, hoarfrost, and other phonemes.

Posted by: ErikInTexas at January 24, 2026 01:29 PM (4b7CV)

2 Good afternoon Greenthumbs and Snowmen

Posted by: Skip at January 24, 2026 01:36 PM (Ia/+0)

3 I thought that we were past the last frost so I have some plants out already. I'm going to greenhouse them with a couple of candles under there to get through the next two days.

Posted by: toby928(c) at January 24, 2026 01:36 PM (jc0TO)

4 Yo!

Posted by: Angzarr the Cromulent at January 24, 2026 01:36 PM (XMwZJ)

5 $20. Same as in the walk-in cooler.

Posted by: Frosted Ho at January 24, 2026 01:36 PM (M3U87)

6 I have a Christmas cactus with white flowers. Don't know how it knows it's Christmas, but it blooms without fail every year in late December and January.

Posted by: Angzarr the Cromulent at January 24, 2026 01:37 PM (XMwZJ)

7 Sunny if fridgety cold here today. Snow tomorrow they promise

Posted by: Skip at January 24, 2026 01:37 PM (Ia/+0)

8 . I tried an Opuntia that is supposedly cold hardy here in NoVA. It was doing great until the recent really cold temps. It was about 14 or 15 inches tall but the last round of cold has it folded over. I'm hoping the snow will insulate the bottom pad so I don't lose it entirely.

Posted by: Lirio100 at January 24, 2026 01:40 PM (ky7/T)

9 I love hoarfrost, as it is so pretty, but wish it had a better name. I know that's probably just me, as it means "grey."

Regarding the amaryllis...I'd repot and see if the bulb has mold. It may be overwatered. If moldy I'd throw it away.

We had one this year (potted) and it recently shot up another bloom when we thought it was done. It does not need water til the top soil is dry. Some places warmer they can be grown outside. Not here.

I have my second waxed amaryllis bulb and prefer them as they need NOTHING but a bit of indirect sun.

Hoping for snow out West someday as we've had a brown winter. I'll settle fine for snow with my spring daffodils an tulips, because they bloom regardless.

Posted by: ChristyBlinkyTheGreat at January 24, 2026 01:41 PM (WONhk)

10 > Don't know how it knows it's Christmas
Posted by: Angzarr the Cromulent at January 24, 2026 01:37 PM (XMwZJ)

Day length. That's how many plants determine what time of year it is.

If you keep one in an environment where it's brightly-lite at night, it may not bloom at all.

Conversely, if you want to make one bloom in the off-season, you can keep it in a dark closet for a few weeks, only bringing it out a couple of hours a day.

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at January 24, 2026 01:43 PM (IG3/x)

11 I'm a bit up in the mountains (relatively speaking for this part of the country), and we're having one of the overall coldest winters in the last 50 years, so if you listen closely as the wind caresses the surrounding woods you might hear it. It's faint but steady. It's a collection of pines, deciduous, and scrub trees singing this phrase over and over in perfect harmony:

"This sucks...this sucks....this sucks....this sucks...."

Posted by: Orson at January 24, 2026 01:47 PM (dIske)

12 I have a poinsettia that's still alive. I thought their natural life cycle had them die right at or shortly after Christmas. /s

I just put it in a draining ceramic pot and placed it under the skylight by the fireplace. It even has a couple of new leaves.

Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead at January 24, 2026 01:49 PM (3Ope8)

13 I finally got the raccoons to stop digging up my poor torn-up lawn by killing all the insects there.

Channeling Carl Spackler over here.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at January 24, 2026 01:57 PM (RIvkX)

14 The waterfall is circulating the water in the pond but the water lilies and irises haz a sad.

Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead at January 24, 2026 02:01 PM (3Ope8)

15 Years ago, my cousin gave a Christmas cactus to my Mom (rest her soul). Mom said she liked it, so cousin started giving her one every year. But, Mom had good luck with them, so began to have too many and started giving them away.

Which is how we got one. Inside in a dim room since Fall, it has been blooming out nicely.

MiladyJo is the plant lady here. I have a purple thumb. (Not quite black, but far from green.)

Posted by: mindful webworker - I never saw a purple thumb, I never thought I'd see one... at January 24, 2026 02:02 PM (OJSFI)

16 COJ-- now is the time to prune the poinsettia, if you wish to refine its shape. They are lovely plants even when not blooming. Once nighttime temps are reliably over 50F they can be kept outside in a bright location; give them midday shade during the blazing heat of summer.

Bring it back indoors to a sunny window when temps cool again. It may rebloom without any fussing, but not necessarily "on time". Or, you could try to force it.

Posted by: JQ at January 24, 2026 02:04 PM (rdVOm)

17 I took cuttings of boxwood in August, they started forming roots ~new years day... Still haven't put them into soil but need to get it done.

Still waiting for new growth on Christmas Cactus cuttings I took in early December-- those got placed directly into a small cup of "seed starting mix"-- fingers crossed!

Posted by: JQ at January 24, 2026 02:10 PM (rdVOm)

18 I'm sitting at the table looking out at our covered patio where I still have fuchsias blooming.. It's a chilly 62

Posted by: It's me donna at January 24, 2026 02:10 PM (VE6XX)

19 Rosemary grows all over the place in Israel. Just yesterday I picked some sprigs from a bush growing near the sidewalk of one of the streets in my neighborhood. Mrs. BD made chicken with garlic cloves, white wine and the rosemary added in for seasoning.

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at January 24, 2026 02:23 PM (hEQyx)

20 This sucks...this sucks....this sucks....this sucks...."
Posted by: Orson at January 24, 2026 01:47 PM (dIske)

Ah yes. I have a metal porch roof, and that was the sound of the ice coming down on it at about 6 am.

Posted by: Tom Servo at January 24, 2026 02:23 PM (IUuBi)

21 I have a packet of bluebonnet seeds that I'm gonna start in another couple of weeks.

Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead at January 24, 2026 02:24 PM (3Ope8)

22 I love fuchsias! Grandmother grew them into monster-sized, gorgeous patio plants. Of course, Eugene OR had good moist weather for them.

Here? Too hot & dry in summer-- the wind desiccates them. I don't have room indoors.

Posted by: JQ at January 24, 2026 02:25 PM (rdVOm)

23 I had good results planting my amaryllis out in the garden, not trying to keep it in a pot. It’s come back and bloomed nicely 3 years in a row now.

Posted by: Tom Servo at January 24, 2026 02:27 PM (IUuBi)

24 Biden’s dog,
If you have the need to prune your rosemary, use the thicker sticks as shishkabob spears. Especially yummy with lamb.

Posted by: nurse ratched at January 24, 2026 02:31 PM (IhIKR)

25 >> Our rosemary isn't blooming yet.
Mine is. Only a few bees though.

Posted by: 40 Miles North at January 24, 2026 02:31 PM (EaLNz)

26 Great close up of that bee, NorCal Sierra Foothills Lurker!

Posted by: 40 Miles North at January 24, 2026 02:32 PM (EaLNz)

27 24 Biden’s dog,
If you have the need to prune your rosemary, use the thicker sticks as shishkabob spears. Especially yummy with lamb.
Posted by: nurse ratched at January 24, 2026 02:31 PM (IhIKR)

Yes and also you can bunch them together and use for basting..

Posted by: It's me donna at January 24, 2026 02:33 PM (VE6XX)

28 Feed me, Seymore!

Posted by: Audrey II at January 24, 2026 02:35 PM (qFwJc)

29 One of my brothers gave Mom a Calla Lily plant.

I think sometime after he joined the Navy and moved out, Mom had planted a row of them on the north side off the house in the backyard.

Yeah, he should have visited more often and taken a walk into the backyard. LOL. Happy memories.

Posted by: no one of any consequence at January 24, 2026 02:42 PM (qFwJc)

30 Just looked at deck thermometer
19 degrees. Often ground is warmer than air so first snow doesn't lay right away. And if starts padt dark or first thing ground will be frozen

Posted by: Skip at January 24, 2026 03:00 PM (Ia/+0)

31 Winter Storm of DEATH!!! is on its way here to Babylon DC. I have to work, of course. My drive home at 0600 could be sporty. Just snow though and not a lot of it. A few inches at that point. More later, but I'll be home. Looks like more ice around my homestead which sucks. That means power outages. They don't last long where I live though. My proximity to the DC Metro probably helps (I'm right beside a station. I can watch the trains come in and out from my living room).

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at January 24, 2026 03:04 PM (sAmhv)

32
Bright and sunny here. The POD is packed and sunshine is streaming through my house, greenery all around. I feel like unpacking the POD and canceling the whole move.

Posted by: Blonde Morticia at January 24, 2026 03:05 PM (HxSSW)

33 If you have the need to prune your rosemary, use the thicker sticks as shishkabob spears. Especially yummy with lamb.

Posted by: nurse ratched at January 24, 2026 02:31 PM (IhIKR)
-

Yep. Now try the same idea using a cinnamon stick.

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at January 24, 2026 03:06 PM (hEQyx)

34 You should see my prize winning blue ribbon Dandelion! I grow a lot of Purslane, Thistle, Creeping Charlie, Knotweed, etc. too it’s kind of my specialty.

Posted by: Cant Wait For Spring at January 24, 2026 03:07 PM (vEz2K)

35 From Boise area: Dizz-gusting, you people with the outdoor rosemary!, that blooms!... We had trailing rosemary at our CA house - bloomed all the time. Now I have a potted rosemary that I have to bring indoors for the winter - I've had it 2 years, it hasn't ever bloomed.

Anyway: lows 23-28 F, highs 28-37. Normally we get our coldest temperatures around Christmas/New Years, but this may be our low week for the year - my fave forecasting sites claim it'll be warmer next week.

Not much of significance - Thurs. was Final Homegrown Apple Day. Now I have to buy apples for my breakfast. And I'm about to cut the first bloom-stem off my amaryllis since the last of its 6 flowers are fading. Second bud-stem is around 8 inches tall - wonder how many flowers it will have. The bulb came with instructions, the most emphasized of which was "don't overwater".

Posted by: Pat* at January 24, 2026 03:08 PM (VvwVl)

36 PSA:

Clean Up, necessary at end of last night's ONT.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at January 24, 2026 03:10 PM (v7yZo)

37 36 PSA:

Clean Up, necessary at end of last night's ONT.

Posted by: Braenyard

I did not click the link. I did hover over it with the mouse. The link title doesn't match the post. It's a link to a pub though that link probably redirects to something bad, so don't click. Yes, mods need to delete with extreme prejudice.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at January 24, 2026 03:18 PM (sAmhv)

38 COFFEE SUGGESTION ... For those of you in the path of the ice storm, you could brew some coffee while you still have power and store it in a Mason jar ... Then if you happen to lose power, it can be reheated in a saucepan over a "Muffin Tin Emergency Stove" fueled by 3-4 tea light candles (browse the internet for images and instructions) ... And for safety reasons, I strongly suggest placing this reheating setup on your stovetop -- rather than a table or countertop -- and extinguishing the candles when not needed.

Posted by: Kathy at January 24, 2026 03:18 PM (zuKcR)

39 More bad stuff being added at the end of the comments, last night's ONT. My "copilot" wouldn't let me alter and copy the addresses, so I deleted all of them and closed the comments.

Posted by: KT at January 24, 2026 03:42 PM (7vIsy)

40 More bad stuff being added at the end of the comments, last night's ONT. My "copilot" wouldn't let me alter and copy the addresses, so I deleted all of them and closed the comments.
Posted by: KT at January 24, 2026 03:42 PM (7vIsy)
=====
Pixy said he removed some offensive comments there thus morning, that they were in Dutch.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at January 24, 2026 03:55 PM (RIvkX)

41 San Franpsycho at January 24, 2026 03:55

When I looked at one comment, there were "comments" about offensive content in a box that could have been in Dutch, so maybe added after Pixy removed some. One address showed as from the UK.

Posted by: KT at January 24, 2026 06:14 PM (7vIsy)

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